Our Immigrant Neighbors

Update from the Service & Justice Committee

We, your Immanuel Service & Justice Team, share your concerns about our neighbors who are immigrants. We are following our partners’ leads and accompanying them in short- and long-term efforts they indicate are useful. Please call Immanuel’s office (952-937-8123) to volunteer as a notary, lawyer (especially with immigration experience), Spanish-speaker and/or copying assistant. We also anticipate fundraising events with our partners.  The Team also is using guidance and resources from:

• Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service [LIRS])
• ELCA’s AMMPARO Migrant Ministry (including their Facebook posts)
• Lutheran Social Service’s Refugee Services

We will update you as we receive additional information. If you know someone who is seeking immigration information, please contact us. You can help by supporting local businesses, including restaurants, owned and/or operated by folks who are immigrants. They may be struggling because their usual customers are staying home out of fear.

Minneapolis Area Synod Resources

In recent weeks, our synod office has received requests for resources and information about immigration, ICE enforcement, and support for immigrant communities. They have compiled a webpage in English and Espanol with pastoral messages, trainings, resources, articles, and other helpful links related to the recent executive orders and the impact they have on those in our communities. If you have resources to share, please send to Nicholas Tangen.

Men Serving Lunch at Simpson Housing Services

Saturday, March 8, 10:15am - 1:30pm REGISTER

Great news!! No experience needed to participate in the next Men’s Simpson House Lunch Service, scheduled for Saturday, March 8. We’ll leave promptly at 10:15 AM on March 8 from the Immanuel parking lot, carpool over to Simpson’s interim shelter site (the former Zion Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis) and serve a hot lunch to 30-35 homeless individuals in need. Best of all, you’ll be back to Immanuel no later than 1:30 PM. Questions?  Contact davidalanbeach@gmail.com. If you’re interested, act fast: There are a limited number of volunteer slots available, and they’ve been filling up quickly!

Habitat for Humanity

NEXT WORK DAY:  Saturday, March 29, 2025,  8:30am-3:30pm in Prior Lake (REGISTER)

Choose from ONE of the following jobs:

• Construction team
• lunch for the workers
• photography

No experience required.  Minimum age 16 for construction volunteers.  Not only do we build a home, we build community, putting our faith into action. Come join us and help make the dream of home ownership a reality.

Questions?  Contact Ruth Lunde or Lynn Swanson at 952.974.1689.

California Wildfires:  Lutheran Disaster Relief & Thrivent Match

Your donation amplified!* Lutheran Disaster Response is coordinating with the Southwest California Synod, Pacifica Synod and other partners to assess the needs of people impacted by the wildfires. We will work with them to provide for immediate needs and recovery amid the widespread destruction. Lutheran Disaster Response is committed to accompanying recovering communities for months and years to come.

Gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response equip us to respond to this and other disasters, whenever and wherever they strike. Gifts will be used in full (100%) for those affected by disasters. 

*Thrivent will provide a $1 match for every $2 donated through this online disaster response campaign up to a maximum match of $500,000. Thrivent will pay up to $300,000 in online processing fees per calendar year for personal donations made through Thrivent's online giving platform.

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Wednesday Cafe'

Volunteer to serve meals and build community!

Volunteers are needed to prepare, serve, and clean-up an EASY, catered meal once/month.  Approximate time committment is 4:30-7:00pm (flexible).  Join the fun and share your gift of hospitality!

To sign-up or for additional information contact MaryKay Copp.

Truth & Healing Group

During the past year the ELCA has initiated the “Truth & Healing Movement” as an intentional opportunity for the church to increase it’s understanding of our colonizing impacts on Indigenous people in the past and present. The movement is focused on providing opportunities to learn the true, and largely ignored, history and current realities of Indigenous people with the hope that by listening and learning, these truths will bring healing for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.

At Immanuel, we have decided to start a group committed to this work within our own context here in Eden Prairie and in Minnesota. We will be meeting monthly over the course of the next 9-12 months to learn together and to form our own action plans for how we might be better neighbors- following the guidance of Native Governance Center.  Learn more!

Have an Hour or Two?

Become an on-call servant!

We know your life is busy but we also know you have a heart for helping others. We can help! Immanuel often has opportunities to assist with projects that require a very limited time commitment. Consider joining our On-Call Servant email list! When a need arises we will send an email and if you are available to help, let us know. It's that easy! Send an email to MaryKay in the office and you will be added to the distribution list.

Diaper Squad

Support our partner Redeemer Lutheran as they help with a food shelf in their neighborhood. Donations ofbaby wipes and diapers of all sizes are needed - these items are in high demand for families accessing food shelves.  Volunteers are needed to deliver diapers to N. Minneapolis the first Saturday of the month.

Sign up online!